TTPM Holiday Showcase 2015 Recap #TTPM

My exciting moment of the week was heading into the TTPM Holiday Showcase 2015. The event is always so much fun, and this year was no different! All of this years hottest toys, games and companies under one roof – offering demonstrations and a chance for hands on fun, this is definitely the place to be as the holidays are approaching!

The day begins with the announcement of those toys who have won a coveted spot on TTPM’s Most Wanted List. This year the list includes everything from a smartwatch for kids and a dancing Snoopy toy to awesome RC robots! Here’s a recap and some of our favorite toys from this year’s Holiday Showcase!

One of our absolute favorites this year was the Sphero Star Wars BB-8 Droid App Enabled Robot. This fun little robot is from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie is really unique in the way he moves and interacts. He is controlled entirely by an app that runs on any iOS or Android device and has three modes of play: drive, patrol and message. Kids (and Star Wars fans of all ages) will love interacting with BB-8. My son has already gotten one for his birthday and has been playing with it nonstop. The app is intuitive and adds many features to BB-8, such as allowing him to learn pre-programmed moves, recognize your voice and develop his own personality as you interact with him. Sphero has promised even more functionality down the line through app updates, so this is definitely a toy that will be fun for a long time coming. MSRP: 149.99

The Playmobile Sunshine Preschool is a great gift for young children, especially those preparing to start school or just beginning their first years. The Sunshine Preschool has everything a child needs to create a realistic school experience, including a real working chalkboard, music center, building blocks, a kitchen and many more accessories. This one is high on our own Christmas list! MSRP: $99.99

Budding science enthusiasts will love the Uncle Milton Super Moon In My Room, with it’s built in lunar clock it mimics the moon’s phase, features nighttime and moon landing sound effects and can be controlled by the included remote. This is the perfect gift for star gazers or doubles as a night light to help little ones fall asleep. MSRP: $44.99

Tiggly Words Interactive Learning App (ages 4-8) – I am a huge, huge fan of Tiggly Apps. I first learned of Tiggly at the 2015 Toy Fair last Spring. We have been enjoying their games ever since. Tiggly words combines physical and digital play, with fun letter shaped toys that interact with the three separate learning games on your iOS and Android tablets that promote word building and phonics. The letters are brightly colored and sized to be comfortable in small hands and the games are captivating and fun. Tiggly doesn’t require any batteries, bluetooth wifi setup, so it’s ready to use right out of the box and simple for parents too. Tiggly also sells Tiggly Shapes and Tiggly Math. MSRP: $29.99

Roominate rPower – Last year we shared some Roominate toys in our holiday gift guide. Roominate in a wired building set geared towards young girls. rPower takes these sets to a new level, allowing you to control any existing Roominate set from the Roominate app on your phone or tablet. The rPower unit can connect up to 8 circuits, allowing for control of lights, motors, buzzers and sensors on any Roominates creation. We saw this in action at the TTPM Holiday Showcase and it was really impressive! Roominate has always been one of our favorite STEM toys for girls, so it’s exciting to see them opening up even more possibilities for these sets. And it’s compatible with any Roominate sets you already own, which is huge because you can provide your child with a new level of play without having to purchase additional sets. All in all, I love Roominate and the rPower untit is definitely a hot item for girls who love to build and design! MSRP: $19.99

Of course, these are just a small sample of the amazing toys we had the chance to preview at the Holiday Showcase. You’ll find this and many more in our upcoming Holiday Gift Guide, so be sure to keep an eye out in early November for that. It will be chock full of our favorite toys and gadgets as well as reviews!

Have you started your holiday shopping yet? No matter how early I start, I always end of feeling like it’s not soon enough! Thanks to the TTPM Holiday Showcase however, I’ve got a pretty good idea of what we’ll be sticking under the tree year!